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AGENDA ITEM <br />Prepared By: JVE Reviewed By: AMC Approved By: <br />1.Purpose. The purpose of the action item is to gain Council acceptance of the Fire Department Needs <br />Assessment and establish a way forward for the establishment of the Orono Fire Department. <br />2.Background. In September of 2022, the City Council passed a resolution to establish the Orono Fire <br />Department. At the November 14th meeting the council appointed a new Fire Chief to build and then lead <br />the new department. At the February 13, 2023 meeting council directed staff to complete a needs <br />assessment by June 12th. A presentation on the Draft Needs Assessment was provided to the City <br />Council at May 8th work session and the establishment of a Public Comment and Questions Process was <br />completed at the May 8th City Council Meeting. Public input was accepted via the website from May 9th <br />to June 7th, and in person input received at the May 22nd Council Meeting. At the May 22nd Council <br />meeting Council approved the replacement of Council Member Seals with Mayor Walsh on the Fire <br />Negotiating Committee. <br />3.Needs Assessment: A copy of the final Needs Assessment is at Exhibit A and the presentation is at <br />Reference A. Exhibit B is the collection of all the public comments and questions collected from the <br />website form from May 18th to close of business June 7th. <br />4.Staff Recommendation. Staff recommends Course of Action 4 from the Needs Assessment, which <br />is the Hybrid Model with a full-time chief, daytime duty crews and paid-on-call fire fighters. To <br />accomplish this staff further recommends: <br />a. The city establishes a response guideline based on the Suburban Demand Zone from NFPA. <br />b. The establishment of daytime duty crew staffing structure. <br />c.The city develops a hiring and recruiting process to staff the new department including a pension <br />plan that is beneficial to any firefighter currently serving the Orono area who wish to join the new <br />department. <br />d.The city focuses negotiating effort on disposition of Station 1, of select fleet and equipment with <br />the City of Long Lake. <br />e.The city initiates purchase of equipment and vehicles. <br />f.The city adopts the League of Minnesota Cities formula for any fee for service contracts. <br />5. Fire Negotiating Committee. The Committee, Mayor Walsh and Council Member Johnson, met with <br />Staff on June 5th. The committee recommends the city adopt a phased timeline for creation of the Fire <br />department starting with the current Navarre Service Area as reflected in Exhibits C and D <br />COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED <br />1.Move to accept the Orono Fire Needs Assessment <br />2.Establish a way forward for the standup of the Orono Fire Department. Motion to approve <br />Resolution Nos. 7374 & 7375 as shown in exhibits C and D; or motion to approve Resolution No. <br />7376 as shown in exhibit E. <br />Exhibits <br />A.Needs Assessment <br />B.Public Comments and Questions – collected from website form from 5/18/2023 – 6/7/2023 <br />C.Resolution No. 7374, to change the Long Lake Fire Department Service Area in 2024. <br />Item No.: 19 Date: June 12, 2023 <br />Item Description: Fire Department Needs Assessment – Establishment of the Orono Fire <br />Department <br />Presenter: James Van Eyll <br />Fire Chief <br />Agenda <br />Section: <br />Fire Department Report